Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

Our 80,000 qualified print subscribers—and 130,000 12-month engaged online audience—trust us to dive in and provide original journalism you won’t find elsewhere covering key emerging areas such as laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, lasers in space, integrated photonics, chipscale lasers, LiDAR, metasurfaces, high-energy laser weaponry, photonic crystals, and quantum computing/sensors/communications. We cover the innovations driving these markets.

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Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

3 Stocks Under $50 with Open Questions

MGM Cover Image

Stocks trading between $10 and $50 can be particularly interesting as they frequently represent businesses that have survived their early challenges. However, investors should remain vigilant as some may still have unproven business models, leaving them vulnerable to the ebbs and flows of the broader market.

This is precisely where StockStory comes in - we do the heavy lifting to identify companies with solid fundamentals so you can invest with confidence. That said, here are three stocks under $50 to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.

MGM Resorts (MGM)

Share Price: $36.22

Operating several properties on the Las Vegas Strip, MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM) is a global hospitality and entertainment company known for its resorts and casinos.

Why Do We Think MGM Will Underperform?

  1. Scale is a double-edged sword because it limits the company’s growth potential compared to its smaller competitors, as reflected in its below-average annual revenue increases of 7.8% for the last two years
  2. Diminishing returns on capital from an already low starting point show that neither management’s prior nor current bets are going as planned
  3. High net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 12× could force the company to raise capital at unfavorable terms if market conditions deteriorate

MGM Resorts’s stock price of $36.22 implies a valuation ratio of 15.4x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including MGM in your portfolio.

Terex (TEX)

Share Price: $48.36

With humble beginnings as a dump truck company, Terex (NYSE: TEX) today manufactures lifting and material handling equipment designed to move and hoist heavy goods and materials.

Why Are We Cautious About TEX?

  1. Organic sales performance over the past two years indicates the company may need to make strategic adjustments or rely on M&A to catalyze faster growth
  2. Incremental sales over the last two years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 16.3% annually while its revenue grew
  3. Free cash flow margin dropped by 5.4 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up

Terex is trading at $48.36 per share, or 9.6x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why TEX doesn’t pass our bar.

Graphic Packaging Holding (GPK)

Share Price: $22.89

Founded in 1991, Graphic Packaging (NYSE: GPK) is a provider of paper-based packaging solutions for a wide range of products.

Why Do We Avoid GPK?

  1. Declining unit sales over the past two years indicate demand is soft and that the company may need to revise its strategy
  2. Falling earnings per share over the last two years has some investors worried as stock prices ultimately follow EPS over the long term
  3. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 8.9 percentage points

At $22.89 per share, Graphic Packaging Holding trades at 10.5x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than GPK.

Stocks We Like More

Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.

Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today

StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.

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